Quick connect-disconnect electrical connectors



July 26, 1955 Filed Sept. 19, 1951 J. W. BEATTY QUICK CONNECT-DISCONNECT ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 1,-nun.

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QUICK CONNECT-DISCONNECT ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed Sept. 19, 1951 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 r Tl 1i 7 0 A! Trot/V675 United States Patent 2,714,195 Patented July 26, 1955 QUICK CQNNECT-DI SCONNECT ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to quick connect-disconnect electrical connectors and has special reference to an improved version of this type of connector wherein a pluany number of contact pins 28 imbedded therein up to nine.

Below the bottom 22 is a cover 30 which also has a series of square openings 24 corresponding in size and spacing to the openings 24. A gasket 32 separates the W bottom 22 from the cover 30. Screws 34 hold the bottom 22 in place.

The upper side of the cover 30 is hollowed out as at 36 and within this hollowed out portion the insulators are enlarged as at 38, whereby they are held against vertical movement in the space 36 within the cover 30.

The earns 40 are part of the mechanism employed for pressing the sockets of the device on and off the pins 28 and at the same time maintaining coaxial relation between, and uniform movement of pins and sockets. The cams 40 are secured to the inner wall of the pin housing 1 by rivets 42, but may be made an integral part of the rality of electrical contact pins are simultaneously entered into mating tubular sockets by coaxial movement of the sockets over the pins.

A feature of the present invention resides in the novel linkage whereby the several parts of the connector are moved into and out of their operative position. By use of this linkage a single manual movement connects or disconnects all of the pins of the device from all of the tubular sockets. Moreover, the linkage is such that the sockets or pins are moved in a straight line in moving on and oh? their mating members.

The configuration of the improved device is also such that it takes the least possible area on the panel or switchboard upon which it is mounted together with a plurality of devices of like structure.

Other valuable features will be manifest upon a consideration of the accompanying description and drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rectangular pin housing in the bottom of which a row of insulators are positioned and held, each insulator having a plurality of contact pins imbedded therein.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross section taken at 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the pin mounting and an elevation of one of the cams.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken at 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing an edge view of the cams.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the socket housing showing part of the linkage provided for maintaining parallel entry of the pins into the sockets.

Pig. 5 is a longitudinal-vertical-central cross section through the upper or socket housing showing the socket mounting and the cable take-oft tube.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken at 6-6 of Fig. 4 through the socket housing showing the operating handle and its mounting studs and its rollers.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the complete assembly in the fully closed position. 7

Referring to the drawings, a trough-like pin housing 10 is open on the face side 12 and has a flange 14 extending all around the open side for flush mounting the pin housing 10 on a panel or switchboard 16. Screws 18 and nuts 26 secure the flange 14 to panel 16. Openings for a plurality of pin housings 10 may be cut in the panel with a minimum of space between adjacent openings whereby a maximum number of pin housings may be mounted on a given size panel.

The bottom 22 of the pin housing 10 may preferably be an integral part of the housing and has a row of square openings 24 therethrough for positioning and holding a series of insulators 26. These insulators are made with housing if so desired.

The socket housing 44 is in two main parts, a box like socket container 46 for supporting the socket insulating members 47 and a lid 50 held to the socket container by screws 52, a plate 54 being clamped between the socket container 46 and lid 50 by the screws, the socket insulating members 47 each supporting sockets 51 which are corresponding in number and spacing to the pins 28 in the pin housing 10.

Intermediate the upper and lower surface of the socket container 46 is a false bottom 56 which may be an integral part of the socket container 46 or may be separately made and secured in position by any appropriate fastening means.

Like rows of square openings 24" extend through the plate 54 and false bottom 56, the openings 24 corresponding in size and spacing to the openings 24. Between the plate 54 and false bottom 56 the socket insulators are enlarged as at 38' whereby they are held against vertical movement in the space 58 between the plate 54 and false bottom 56. Space 69 is provided in the lid 50 for the individual wires which are joined to the sockets 51 then brought together to compose a cable which will be brought out through the cable outlet 64.

The mechanism which compels coaxial entry of the pins 28 into the sockets 51 includes two levers 66 of the first order, fulcrumed on studs 63, one stud on each side of the container 46, washers 70 being placed on the studs over the levers and the studs riveted over. The two levers 66 are joined at the power end by a bridge 72 which is riveted or similarly fastened by appropriate means, whereby the two levers 66 always rock about the studs 68 in unison. At the load end of the levers 66, rollers 74 rotate on studs 76. Washers 78 hold the rollers on the studs, the studs being riveted over on the outer ends to hold the rollers in place. A second pair of levers 80 are rockable on studs 68, the levers being held on the studs by washers 7t) and the ends of the studs being riveted over. Rollers 74 revolve on studs 76 and are held on by washers 78'.

Intermeshing gear segments 82 and 82 are formed in the edges of the levers 66 and 86 whereby, when the levers 66 are turned clockwise about the studs 68, the levers 8th will turn anticlockwise about the studs 68'.

The operation of the hereinbefore described device may preferably be substantially as follows:

The pin housing assembly 10, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, may be secured in the panel 16 by screws 18 and conductors attached one end of each conductor to a pin 28 and the other end of each conductor to one of the various electrically controlled or operated instrumentalities.

The socket housing assembly 44 may next be wired by bringing in a cable through the cable outlet 64, separating it into its individual wires and joining the ends to the several sockets 51.

The handle end of the levers 66 may now be raised as seen in Fig. 4 until the rollers 7474 are close enough together that they will pass downward between the points 84 of the cam 40, after which the handle end of the levers 66 may be pressed down to the position shown in Fig. 7, in which position the sockets 51 will be pressed down over the pins 28.

It is noted that, in any position of the handle ends of the levers 66, the rollers 7474 retain their parallel relation with the housings whereby the pins and sockets remain coaxial when they engage, one with the other.

I claim:

1. A quick electrical connector device comprising a trough-like pin housing having contact pins insulatingly fixed in the bottom thereof, a mating socket housing having cooperating socket members fixed therein aligned with the respective contact pins and adapted to be connected in nesting relation with the pin housing, first cam means including recessed portions arranged on the inner surface of opposite sides of the pin housing, two pair of interengaged lever means pivotally connected to the opposite sides of the socket housing, each pair of lever means comprising two geared lever members, said two geared lever members of each pair having their pivots arranged in a single plane in spaced relation, second carn means arranged on each of said lever members and cooperatively engaging said first cam rneans, said second cam means being arranged so as always to be in a plane parallel to the plane of the pivots of its lever members, whereby on actuation of said lever means said second cam means engages in the recessed portions of said first cam means to draw said pins and said socket members uniformly andv positively into locking engagement.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said first cam means comprises a pair of cam plates having symmetrical surfaces fixed to opposed sides of the pin housing and having recessed portions adapted to receive said second cam means in interlocking engagement therewith, said second cam means comprising projections from said lever members.

3. An electrical connector device comprising a pin housing having contact pins insulatitigly mounted therein, a socket housing associated with said pin housing and having a plurality of socket members insulatingly mounted therein, each of said socket members being cooperatively aligned with a respective contact pin, cam means including recessed portions disposed on two oppositely disposed parallel flat walls of one of said housings, lever members pivotally connected on corresponding oppositely disposed walls of the other of said housings, said lever members having intermeshing gear segments, said lever members having means operatively engaging said cam means whereby on actuation of said lever members in one direction said housings are moved in continuous parallel relation into interlocking engagement causing said pins and said socket members to be uniformly guided in aligned relation into engagement with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,051,425 Schlums Aug. 18, 1936 2,124,182 Braun July 19, 1938 2,286,952 Cannon et al June 16, 1942 2,430,011 Gillentine Nov. 4, 1947 2,438,371 Marholz Mar. 23, 1948 2,487,801 Healy, Jr. Nov. 15, 1949 2,510,944 Auerbach June 13, 1950 2,514,246 Knox July 4, 1950 2,535,031 Beatty Dec. 26, 1950 2,594,748 Earl Apr. 29, 1952 2,635,129 Berger Apr. 14, 1953 

